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How To Start A Compost?
No, I didn't make a typo in the title of this post and I didn't leave any words out either. It's the odd name of an article about composting on the new MSN Green website. 
Now don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to see more and more green/environmental sites that talk about compost but this article just feels a little bit off. Like maybe it was run through a translator program or something. How to start a compost? Listen to this part too ...
Once again there's an confusing choice of words (composts), but I really don't agree with the constant attention part either. As I've written many times here on this blog, compost will happen all by itself without any help from you. Make a pile of leaves and grass and next year the bottom of that pile will be compost.
Composts need constant attention. Your pile should be wet, warm and mixed regularly. (This is why some bins come with a handle!) Like we said, the perfect recipe is hard to get right off the bat, but once you master it, you’ll never look back.
Now if you want it to happen quicker than it naturally does, then that's when your pile will need some attention. Your constant attention can be saved for your newborn baby or for your stock portfolio. Your compost bin will be just fine if you only check on it every couple of days.
Overall, MSN Green is worth checking out. But in the future, I'd like them to fix their translator or whatever caused the confusing jargon and perhaps they could make composting sound a little easier if they want people to actually try it.
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Very interesting, and somewhat useful, but you're right that nature doesn't pay attention to compost -and once the compost gets going, the worms usually appear without the gardener's intervention!
After reading the article and noticing a few other words that seemed more British than US, like "bureau", I went to the Janes page. One of them is from Canada, and the same term, "A Compost" is found on the Candadian Greenpeace Compost Page. Our Canadian garden blogging friends may know more about this.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
This is my first visit and I love your approach to composting matters. I've added the site to my Del.icio.us tags.
Jessica, the Gardening Nut
My Compost Bin Lens
Annie, thanks for the insight. You're right, it seems like a compost is the Canadian way to say it.
Lisa, yes, compost just has a way of happening all by itself. :)
Katie, that's true in Hollywood but it may not apply to a pile of garbage. :)
Sue, it's true. Those things are usually humorous.
Hi Jessica, thanks for visiting and thanks for the tags. Nice lens you've got there. I used to Squidoo but haven't done anything with my lens in years.
If you want to play it safe you could stick to leaves and grass clippings as ingredients for now. Introducing food scraps might increase the likelihood of a stinky pile that people complain about. Coffee grinds are a safe ingredient too. Good luck!
Sue
When is the next carnival Sue?
I have (a) absolutely no yard -- just a concrete "patio" which gets little sun -- and (b)a raccoon problem. Food in my trash usually results in the can being turned over (luckily, the thing locks.)
Would it be worth it for me to even attempt any sort of compost situation? Or should I just try to find a depository elsewhere? (I don't know of one around here.)
Perhaps a worm bin would be better for you if you just want to compost kitchen waste.
I don't know if your goal is to be green and reduce your waste or perhaps you want to create the compost for a garden (might be hard to garden with just a patio) but if you're not worried about the compost, maybe look into getting a garbage disposal. Good luck with whatever you decide.
And thanks for visiting!
Thanks for your answer!
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